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Prophecies of Uikku
The Prophecies of Uikku were the collected writings of Uikku, one of the Phoenix Clan's most revered prophets. Uikku's Discovery Uikku was discovered by the Phoenix Clan in 72. They originally believed him to be just an orphaned child, yet his knowledge of the Tao of Shinsei was impossible for a someone of his age and station. Soon it was discovered he also had the gift of prophecy. As he grew older, he began to speak riddles and mysteries that were not found in the Tao. Even Uikku did not seem to understand the things he was saying.Way of the Phoenix, p. 117 Transcribing the Prophecies At the Master of Void's command, the word of Uikku were written down. Reviewing the documents, the Asako family realized that the boy was not only clarifying some of the mysteries of the Tao, but he was also speaking of the future. Although he died young his brief career had a remarkable impact on Rokugani thought and philosophy. His insights into the Tao astounded the Phoenix and helped evolve the role of shugenja. Time of the Void, p. 12 Excerpts "When the Phoenix burns brightly in the sky, it must leave half its soul in ashes upon the earth. In this way will the flames of the Five cover the Empire in brotherhood." * The Isawa believed that these words foretold the magical knowledge of their family spreading throughout Rokugan, especially in the formation of the Asahina and the Yogo family. Way of the Phoenix, p. 22 "A wolf shall sit upon the throne, and embrace the void." * It was supposed a prophecy of marrying Toturi, whose banner was wolf, and Isawa Kaede, the Master of Void. Doom of the Empire (Kotei 2005), by Rich Wulf "Insects of the sea, forest, and flame shall rule the open sea." * This seemed to speak of the Mantis Clan's rise from the Mantis, Wasp, and Centipede Clans. "Those who shed the blood of gods will rise to glory and madness." * This seemed to speak of Hitomi and Yakamo, the unpredictable Lady Moon and Lord Sun. ''"The purity of the Emerald Empire must not be adulterated lest the throne itself crack, and fall, and sever the trust of the Seven Great Clans and their Thunders." ''Winter Court: Kyuden Kakita, p. 114 * This seemed to speak of the duel between Akodo Toturi and Bayushi Shoju, which provoked a crack in the throne, the ensuing take of the Throne by Toturi, his fall after Hantei Sotorii took his heritage as Emperor, and the following Clan War, where the clans fought one against each other. ""When Fu Leng shall rise again, the Children of Isawa shall become corrupt and fall, but one of their number shall be preserved. He shall know the truth of Shinsei's Way, and shall contemplate it through the fullness of all things. Then he shall teach the Masters the truth of Void." Way of Shinsei, p. 78 * Isawa Koichi believed that an Ishi must leave the Isawa and become a monk or the entire family would be destroyed and become servants of Fu Leng. Forgotten Uikku met the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Daijin. After speaking to Uikku for some time Daijin became haunted by visions, plagued by nightmares, and eventually, became completely mad. He escaped into the Bayushi's Labyrinth, never to be found again. The Prophecies of Uikku were placed in a secret chamber beneath Kyuden Bayushi and forgotten. Player's Guide: 2nd Ed, p. 62 Final Days of Uikku In Uikku's final days the young prophet was wracked with fever and suffered from dark visions of the future. He foresaw the destruction of the Great Clans, babbling endlessly about the bleak times to come. Though much of what Uikku said was unintelligible gibberish, all of it was dutifully recorded by Phoenix scribes. In the time since his passing, the words of Uikku were treated as truth and as reverently as if they had been spoken by Shinsei himself. The Dooms By far the most lucid segment of the prophet's ramblings became a set of scrolls known as the "Dooms". These scrolls have never been duplicated and were guarded by a secret brotherhood of bushi based in Kyuden Isawa. The Phoenix believed that these scrolls contained warnings that could prevent the destruction of the Clans. It was said that although the events predicted in these prophecies were unrelated, they would occur in the order Uikku had uttered them or else the doom of the Empire would not come to pass. If any of them could be prevented, the rest of the predictions could yet occur but the Empire would be saved. The Dooms * The First Doom Doom of the Crane (Shadowlands) "Of the Crane, a fallen foe will prove to be their undoing. They will be led astray by a deciever and the true hero will arise too late to save them." Time of the Void, pp. 12-13 * The Second Doom Doom of the Lion (Shadowlands) "The Lion Clan shall find that blind faith in the Throne leaves you blind to the need of the Empire." * The Third Doom Doom of the Phoenix (Shadowlands) "The Tao of Shinsei is no guard against darkness. It is their pride that will blind the Phoenix to their downfall." * The Fourth Doom Doom of the Scorpion (Shadowlands) "At the moment of their victory, that is when the Scorpion Clan shall learn the cost of dark alliances." * The Fifth Doom Doom of the Unicorn (Shadowlands) "The Unicorn may be the masters of the Four Winds, but when the great wind comes, it shall be the saplings that fall before the great trees with deep roots." * The Sixth Doom Doom of the Dragon (Shadowlands) The contents of the scroll were unknown. The Dragon Clan Champion of Uikku's era somehow obtained it from the scribes and never revealed its contents. It was believed that the Dragon Champion during the Clan War, Togashi Yokuni, still possessed the scroll. * The Seventh Doom "They believe they have come to the Empire to assist against the Shadowlands, but it shall be this very action that will be their doom." (Unfortunately, this was the height of clarity for this particular Doom. The identity of the group it describes was never given by Uikku. The Brotherhood of Uikku theorized that it could be the Mantis Clan, Toturi's Army, northern barbarians or any number of other groups.) Others thought that the group were the Naga, Doom of the Naga (Shadowlands) and other the Nezumi. Tomorrow (Tomorrow flavor) * The Eighth Doom Doom of the Crab (Shadowlands) "Of the Crab, it will be the return of an ancient hero that marks their doom. He will destroy the Crab Clan and everything for which they have fought." * The Last Prophecy of Uikku "And when the second time of thunders arises, one Clan will fall and one Clan shall be redeemed." The Hero's Triumph (Time of the Void flavor) Fulfilled Dooms * The First Doom (Crane) The fallen foe was believed to have been Bayushi Kachiko as her kidnappping of Doji Hoturi, the Crane daimyo, and creation of the False Hoturi sowed discord and infamy in his name. That imposter was finally slain, but not before the Crane Clan had their name and lands both ruined by the False Hoturi and his army of Shadowlands creatures. Legacy of the Naga, Part 1, by Edward Bolme Secrets of the Crane, p. 93 * The Second Doom (Lion) Matsu Tsuko and Ikoma Tsanuri both honored their vows to the throne even when it was clear that Fu Leng himself had possessed Emperor Hantei the 39th. They and those who served them became servants of evil, claiming their oaths shackled them. As a result Lion fought Lion before the gates of Otosan Uchi, nearly destroying the clan. Familiar Surroundings (Time of the Void flavor) * The Third Doom (Phoenix) Uikku spoke of the pride of the Phoenix, the Elemental Masters thought they could master the Black Scrolls. Instead the Black Scrolls corrupted them. Only one of the Council, Isawa Kaede, survived the Day of Thunder, and only because the other four sent her away, forbidding her from studying the scrolls. Essence of Earth (Time of the Void flavor) * The Fourth Doom (Scorpion) Many thought this Doom had been fulfilled by the fall of the Scorpion after the Coup, but some thought it referred to Kachiko and her position on the Throne. She had been poisoning the Emperor and in his weakened state he could be possessed by Fu Leng. Thus the corruption she had allowed through the False Hoturi came back to haunt her in her very own bedchambers. The moment she thought the throne was truly hers, she found herself chained to it by her own actions, for she had to remain and keep the Emperor weak with poisons. * The Fifth Doom (Unicorn) The prophecy seemed to alude to the return of Shinjo and purge of the Kolat that had infiltrated that Clan so deeply. * The Sixth Doom (Dragon) As the contents of the Sixth doom were unknown, it was supposed that it spoke of Togashi's death at the hands of Fu Leng. If such a thing were known, the samurai of the Dragon Clan would have moved to prevent it, and by trying to avoid Togashi's fate, the fate of the Empire would have been imperiled. The mad Ise Zumi Kokujin told Rosoku he knew the Doom of the Dragon. * The Seventh Doom (Naga) The Great Sleep ended when Fu Leng began to manifest, to fight against the Fallen Kami and the Foul behind him. But Fu Leng was defeated by the Seven Thunders so the Naga did not directly participate in his demise. Their Great Sleep ended too early and Naga paid the price. Some believed that the next Sleep would never end. * The Eight Doom (Crab) Hida Yakamo took the Claw from Kuni Yori, stood by as his brother was crucified on a battle standard and used that banner to lead the Shadowlands forces. He gave his name to an oni and unleashed it upon the Empire. For a thousand years the Crab had kept the Shadowlands at bay, yet within three years they marched freely across the Empire under the mon of one of the Great Clans. Last Prophecy The last prophecy of Uikku was believed to have been fulfilled by the end of the Clan War after the Second Day of Thunder. The Phoenix were considered to have fallen, their abuse of the dark powers within the Black Scrolls leading to almost the entire clan being wiped out. The Crab, on the other hand, were considered to have been redeemed. After their alliances with the Shadowlands, Yakamo's Jade Hand became a symbol of their renewed strength and devotion to the Empire. Kachiko's Tale (Time of the Void) Discovery of the Prophecies In 1122 a group of Yogo attempted to map out a deep chasm located in the Bayushi's Labyrinth. They found a cave with scrolls, weapons, items of jade and gold. Yogo Junzo was entrusted by the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Shoju to oversee the excavations. Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun, pp. 85-86 Troubled by nightmares, Bayushi Shoju traveled to the bowels of Kyuden Bayushi in search of the answers his dreams said lay there. After fighting through unknown horrors, Shoju came upon a scroll containing the ancient Prophecies of Uikku. The Scorpion Clan Coup, by Mike Liesik Empire League Season III (Imperial Herald #16) Due to the reading of the propehcies found in the chasm, Yogo Shidachi (Honor Bound Foil Chase Cards flavor) Shoju determined that the last Hantei Emperor would bring the downfall of Rokugan, so he instigated the Scorpion Coup to avoid this fate. Autumn Nightfall, by Ree Soesbee Prophecies Revisited In 1166 the descendant of Shinsei, Rosoku, believed the Prophecies of Uikku did indeed foretell of the Empire's downfall, but that time had not yet come. He guessed that if the dooms had not come to pass during the Clan War that they merely retreated, waiting to spring forth once more. This belief was shared by the Defenders of Uikku. Secrets of the Phoenix, p. 35 There had been two occasions it was believed they came true, but the Empire survived so the prophecies were still to come. Great Clans, p. 194 External Links * Prophecies of Uikku (Promotional) Category:Magic and Religion Category:Rokugani Books